Lagos govt unveils new diaspora health insurance plans
The Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) has launched two new health insurance packages aimed at Nigerians in the diaspora and short-term visitors, marking a major expansion of the Ilera-Eko health insurance scheme.
The plans, Ilera-Eko Waka-Well and Ilera-Eko Home Konnect, were unveiled during the agency’s fourth-quarter 2025 media parley held in Alausa, Ikeja, where stakeholders hailed the initiative as a significant step towards enhancing access to affordable healthcare and accelerating Lagos State’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking at the event, LASHMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Emmanuella Zamba, said the new offerings were developed in response to growing requests from Nigerians living abroad and the need to protect both residents and travellers under the state’s mandatory health insurance framework. She noted that the initiative, launched weeks before the global UHC Day, underscores the state government’s commitment to providing equitable healthcare for all, regardless of location.
Zamba also reflected on the agency’s quarterly media parley introduced in March 2025, which has become a key platform for updating the public on reforms and innovations such as the Ilera-N’tiwa Cooperative, Ilera-Eko Academy, telemedicine services and the Ilera-Eko Spotlight Online Radio.
On the new diaspora-focused plans, Zamba confirmed partnerships with Pinnacle Global Business Services, Nomad Doc Limited and Mrs Taiwo Salvado to market the products locally and internationally. She explained that separating the diaspora package into two components would enable tailored services for travellers, returning Nigerians and families abroad seeking reliable healthcare support for loved ones in Lagos. She added that recent policy adjustments on maternal and surgical services were yielding positive outcomes without reducing existing benefits.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, described Ilera-Eko as the most cost-effective health insurance available to Lagos residents. He noted that a family of six could access comprehensive healthcare for roughly N180 to N220 daily – equivalent to the price of a sachet of paracetamol.
He urged journalists to intensify public sensitisation, stressing that word-of-mouth referrals had significantly boosted enrolment. Bajulaiye stated that the scheme is already improving maternal outcomes across communities and reminded the public that health insurance remains compulsory in Lagos under an Executive Order by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Diaspora and Foreign Relations, Mr Jermaine Sanwo-Olu, applauded LASHMA for what he described as a groundbreaking development in Africa’s health insurance landscape. He said Nigerians across continents were embracing the Waka-Well and Home Konnect packages, which address longstanding challenges faced by diasporans.
